Don’t waste the lesson of the Covid pandemic. So in Holland last year they decided to transform the hand sanitizer dispensers, used during the health emergency, into free dispensers of sunscreens for the prevention of melanoma. And after a year these machines can now be found on beaches, in schools and in parks. The initiative started from the Venlo-Venray hospital, near the German border, thanks to the scientific society Kwf Dutch Cancer Society and various municipalities. Today other cities like Hoorn (in the photo the dispensers on the beach), nearby Amsterdamhave joined and the project is spreading across the country. Dispensers can also be ‘intelligent’they signal the level of UV rays present at that moment so the user is informed and can adjust the amount of cream to use.
The Netherlands is among the European countries with a high incidence of melanomas: between 41.8 and 50.3 new diagnoses per 100 thousand inhabitants. Italy stands at 24.9-33.3 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants (data from the European Commission). The objective is to bring primary prevention as close as possible to people and in places where exposure to the sun is more intense, therefore the sea or green areas. At the same time, young people are being made aware of the use of sunscreens as part of anti-melanoma habits and lifestyles.
The Dutch government hopes that tapping into sunscreen dispensers will become routine for the entire population. According to the Dutch health authorities, the blame is on ultraviolet rays which dangerously affect the cellular structures of the skin. “Almost 1 in 5 Dutch people will develop melanoma in their lifetime. And the most common cause is sunburn,” explained Karen van Poppelen, a dermatologist at Venlo-Venray hospital who launched the dispenser initiative. “Once upon a time, people anointed themselves with oil and lay down on the beach – recalls the dermatologist in an interview with the Dutch media – Today they are more aware of the dangers of the sun, but it is still not enough. Between April and October we should take into account the UV index and apply sunscreen”.
Alessandro Saccoccio, an environmental activist and resident of the Netherlands for 20 years, recently in Hoorn, ‘touched’ the dispensers with sun creams.. “The Dutch health strategy in general is not based on prevention, unlike Italy and other countries – he tells Adnkronos Salute – There are classic screenings for female tumors, but get blood tests if you have no symptoms , therefore in a preventive manner, is discouraged by GPs. This approach has two motivations: to protect the public system from blockages; In the Netherlands, health insurance is private and compulsory. A semi-public system is therefore in force. The hospitals are public, but the insurance companies are private – he continues – The result is that for serious pathologies the system is excellent, but the diagnosis is usually late. In this context, stakeholders have understood that they need to wake up about prevention, so here are the sunscreen dispensers on the beaches. In Hoorn it is an initiative resulting from a partnership between the municipality and an insurance company. In the summer, when I return to Italy, I go to the seaside in Latina or Sabaudia. Why – suggest – Don’t these municipalities copy the Dutch initiative?”.
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